Threads of Fate
by Mewsic
Summary: Max encounters "Fate" and "Death" the day of Chloe's death, and has been given a chance to change Chloe's destiny. Will Max be able to repair her best friend's life thread by the Day of the Dead? And who are "Fate" and "Death?" Story takes place after the game's timeline, with the storm never happening.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 _Rain pelted Max's face as she climbed the hill to the lighthouse. She didn't understand, why was she here? It had been a week since Max righted the wrongs of her time traveling, and yet, she was back at the damned lighthouse._

 _"What do you want?!" Max yelled to no one in particular over the wind and rain. She continued to climb the worn path, avoiding falling trees and debris. As she approached the top, she saw a blurry version of herself holding a polaroid picture, crying as Chloe looked intensely at her. Max choked, realizing this was the moment she decided to go back in time through the picture. Why was she reliving this? Hadn't she been through enough pain and torment? Max looked away, not wanting to see the pained expression on Chloe's face._

 _Suddenly Max was back in the bathroom, moments before Nathan was about to storm in. The blue butterfly appeared frozen on the bucket. Max waited, counting the seconds. No one came. She peeked around the corner, and noticed two cloaked figures standing in the shadows of one of the empty stalls. Where did they come from, and were they here the entire time? What the hell was going on? Max walked in the direction of the two people, noticing one held a small hourglass, while the other held a long piece of thread. They were talking, and Max determined they were female. She slowly approached, hearing bits and pieces of their conversation._

 _"…I think she chose to save the town. Look." The one with the hourglass pointed to the thread. It was glowing a bright blue. "No more rainbow thread."  
_

 _"Guess we got off easy. I really wasn't looking forward to cutting so many pieces." The one holding the hourglass chuckled, picking up something off the ground. Max had to do a double take, because she could have sworn it was a scythe. "You know, I kind of feel sorry for her. I know I shouldn't but she seems like a nice hopper, not like some of the others we've encountered in the past. Maybe a little naive, but I kind of liked her."_

 _"Would you change things? You are fate, after all." The one called "fate" lowered her hood. It was hard to see detailed features in the shadows, but Max could make out dark, wavy hair that fell to her shoulders, and a soft, round face. Max noticed green streaks in her hair._

 _"I'm not sure. I've never had anyone beg me to change their path. They've always bugged you." Both of the women laughed. "After this week, I use a drink…" Max couldn't believe she was staring at the faces of Fate and Death. Who were they? And could they, or rather, could "Fate" help change Chloe's destiny? Fate held the string, and pulled out a pair of sharp looking golden scissors. Was she going to cut the string? Max gasped, and suddenly stood on her shaky legs. She pushed herself forward to where the two women were, wanting to talk to them before it was too late._

 _"Wait! Please, stop!" The two women looked over. "Death" had removed her hood, revealing a petite woman with bright red hair, cut in a pixie style. Both women gave max a quizzical look, and almost looked impatient. Max swallowed, mustering all the courage she had. "Fff…fate, can you pl-please help me save my friend? Please?"_

 _Fate glanced at Death, sighing. She pocketed scissors and held up the thread; it was tattered, fraying, and looked like it was about to break. "Why? Why should I extend a life that is so damaged and torn?"_

 _Max suddenly felt a surge of courage, standing tall. "Because she's my best friend! And she's not damaged! She's been through some horrible shit. Can't it be mended?"_

 _Max anxiously stared at the door, waiting for Nathan and Chloe to burst in any moment. Fate gave a small smile, and put the thread back in her pocket. Fate looked at Death, and they seemed to come to some unspoken agreement. Death reached in her cloak, pulling out a picture and holding it up for Max to see. It was Chloe's funeral. The grey headstone's dates were crisp and clear. Fate touched the picture and everything became blurry. The scenery changed, and Max was able to make out the name "Jelina G" on the headstone._

 _"Find us. You have until the Day of the Dead." Fate turned around to walk out the door. Death winked, following her friend. Max could hear Death say "I do enjoy a fun challenge. Now let's go grab that drink..."  
_

 _Max stood by the door, confused about what just happened._

 _*BEEEEEEEEEP*_

Max jolted awake, sweat coating her face and body. She was in her bed, the pink blankets tangled in a heap on the floor. Max hastily picked up the phone, still waking up from that strange dream.

"Hello?"

"Max, where the hell are you? I've been waiting here for almost twenty minutes!"

"Wha…what?"

"What do you mean, what? Breakfast. Two Whales. I've been waiting for you to tell me the juicy details of your hot nerd date. You told me you'd be here at 10…"

Max dropped the phone in disbelief.

Chloe was alive.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _Saturday morning, October 12, 2013_

The ride to Two Whales was surreal. It was one week after Chloe's funeral. Max should have been holed up in her room, trying to fend off the heartbreak of losing her best friend. Instead, she was on her way to the diner to meet her for breakfast.

Max flipped through the pages of her journal, going back to the day of Chloe's "death." Her entry shared the moment she stopped time and encountered the mysterious Fate and Death; the picture was taped on the page next to a scratchy drawing of the two women. Nathan had stormed in the bathroom, like before, but instead of being hidden in a corner, Max was standing in front of the stalls. Nathan pulled the gun out, waving it towards the wall while threatening Max to get out. Before Max could move, Chloe burst in. Max screamed and Nathan shot his gun. Unlike before, where Chloe had been shot, this time the bullet shot a mirror, causing a rain of shattering glass. Max crumpled to the floor in shock, and in the background, the blue butterfly flew out the window. David rushed in after hearing the sound of a gun and arrested Nathan. Eventually Nathan confessed to Rachel's murder and exposed Mr. Jefferson. Nathan was sent to a psych hospital, and Mr. Jefferson was in jail, awaiting trial for his actions in the Dark Room. Chloe was alive and Max hadn't messed with time.

Max closed her eyes, resting her head on the cool glass of the bus. She was trying to adjust to this new reality, a reality that she didn't fuck up. _Fate did this, not me_. _Are Fate and Death real people?_ Max opened her eyes, looking at everyone on the bus. She recognized a few students, like Evan and Stella, but she also noticed quite a few people who she had never seen before. Max looked at the sketch she drew...maybe they were on the bus? They did stand out, especially Death and her fiery red hair, which reminded her of flames. She looked, hopeful, but her spirits were quickly crushed when she didn't spot them. That would have been too easy if they were sitting right next to her. No, she had a feeling this was going to be another hunt, like the search for Rachel. _I need to find out who this Jelina G person is._

* _SWOOSH_ *

Max looked at her phone as the Tardis sound went off. _When did I change my text tones?_

 **[Warren] 10/12/2013 10:40am**

 **Good morning, my sleeping beauty. I hope you slept well :)**

Max stared at the screen, confused. Sleeping beauty? What? She was struggling to recall any memories from this timeline, and had no clue why Warren would say something so…bold. Max remembered in one timeline, she kissed him. But that was before going back in their picture and erasing that incident. In the last timeline, Warren was helping her cope with Chloe's death. Romance was the last thing on her mind. When Chloe had called this morning, she mentioned a "hot nerdy date." Were she and Warren…dating? Max rubbed her head, feeling a headache coming on. All these damned timelines were confusing the hell out of her.

*SWOOSH*

 **[Warren] 10/12/2013 10:40am**

 **Excited for Rocky tonight?**

 **I've got everyone's tickets, just need the supplies. Get those on the way out.**

Max had no idea what to say, or what that even meant. Max scanned her journal quickly; she was about to arrive at the bus stop to the diner. _Damn it, I wish I had time to actually sit and read this before gracing my presence with the world._ She saw that she had told both Chloe and Warren about her time traveling powers. _Ok, so one thing I don't need to hide around them._ Apparently tonight a group of people were going to see _Rocky Horror Picture Show_ live at the theater. _That could be fun…but, oh no, Chloe is making me dress up?_ Max skipped to the last page, deciding to see what happened "last night." As she read, her cheeks flushed, and a smile crept on her face. She was _definitely_ dating Warren.

The bus started to slow down, and she saw the diner's sign flashing in front of her. _At least Arcadia Bay still looks the same._ She tucked the journal back in her bag, knowing she had a lot to catch up on. Max shoved her cold hands in her pockets and felt a small piece of paper. It was a ticket stub from the theater last night. Suddenly, her and Warren's date flashed before her eyes, imprinting itself in her mind and becoming an actual memory. Max swayed, grabbing the seat in front of her. She _felt_ everything that happened and instantly got a head rush.

"Miss, are you ok?" The bus driver had turned around, noticing Max swaying in the aisle. "Do you need help?" Max shook her head, embarrassed by her sudden dizzy spell and the wave of emotions she experienced.

"No, thank you. Just a little tired." The bus driver looked skeptical, but nodded. Max bolted out of the bus, feeling the gaze of the driver's eyes as she walked to the diner. _He probably thought I was drunk, or high…whatever._ Max was greeted by the delicious smells of bacon and coffee as she approached the diner. _Time to get my grub on._ Before Max opened the door, she froze; she saw _her_ in the window. Chloe was sitting in her usual booth, bright blue hair tucked in that knit beanie, looking bored and slightly annoyed. _She's really here…oh my god Chloe is really here!_

After pinching herself to make sure this was real, Max ran in the diner and tackled Chloe with a hug, knocking over a glass of water in the process. A few customers turned around and laughed, while most gave them a confused look. One of the truck drivers muttered about how weird kids were these days. But Max didn't care. All she cared about was her blue haired best friend sitting in the booth. Alive. "Chloe! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Calm down! You're lucky I'm still here, I almost died of boredom. I don't have all day to wait for your lazy ass to get here. We got shit to do." Chloe peeled her friend's arms off her and wiped the spilt water with a napkin. "Mom's getting your usual ready." Max couldn't move; she just stared at Chloe, a big goofy grin on plastered on her face. "You can sit down, you know." Chloe fidgeted in her seat, looking around uncomfortably. Waving her hand in front of Max, she asked "Hello? You ok? You're acting as if…as if…" Chloe's eyes widened, and she whispered "did you time travel?"

Max finally sat down, whispering "yes," when Joyce approached the table, placing a cup of hot coffee in front of Max.

"Hiya, sweetie. Good to see you this morning."

Max smiled warmly at Joyce. "Great seeing you, too. It's good to see you happy."

"Happy to be coming to work at the diner? Max, you are a funny one. But look at you…you are absolutely glowing! And I bet I know why! Must have been some date last night." Joyce winked. "Your order will be up shortly, Chloe already ate. I told her it was _rude_ to not wait, but you know Chloe. Little Miss I-do-what-I-want." Chloe rolled her eyes as Joyce walked away. She leaned in, eyes twinkling with a mischievous excitement that Max hadn't seen since she told Chloe about her "Super Max Powers."

"First I need to know, what happened on this time travel adventure? Did we become groupies to some hot new band? Or did we set the world on fire?" Chloe laughed, "and we'll come back to the date, I need to know the hot and juicy details." Max ignored that last part and pulled out her journal, flipping to the page where Fate and Death's picture was. The moment everything changed.

"It was horrible, Chloe. You were…" Max suddenly became sad, remembering having to bury her best friend. Chloe, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed with Max's sudden mood shift.

"Dead? I know that, you already told me that I died when you told me about your powers. Several times. You saved my life, mostly when I was being stupid." She leaned in as close as she could, giving Max a serious look. "I know I can't mess around with step di-, sorry, David's guns. And I haven't I swear-"

"-no, Chloe. This time was different. I had caused a storm that was going to kill everyone in Arcadia Bay. The only way to stop it was to…" Max couldn't finish her sentence. Chloe reached over the table, grabbing Max's hands, encouraging her to finish her thought. "Chloe, the only way to stop the storm was to undo everything from my rewind power. I had to go back in time and watch you get shot and killed. By Nathan."

Chloe's brows scrunched together and she frowned at the mention of Nathan. Joyce came by, dropping off Max's breakfast. Max was glad that Joyce didn't pry, and merely said "let me know if I can get anything for you, dear." Chloe let go of Max's hand, tapping her fingers on the table.

"I supposed to get killed by that little shithead?" Max nodded. "But you said things changed. How did they change?"

"I wasn't supposed to be seen in the bathroom. I was hiding behind a stall after taking a picture. But in this reality, I was out in the open…talking to someone."

Chloe gave Max a confused look. "Max, I was in that bathroom. There was no one else there."

"Chloe, it was strange. I returned, but time was frozen. I saw two people in one of the stalls, talking about how I chose to save the town. And they seemed to know what was going on, like they were waiting for you and Nathan to come in. It was bizarre." Max took a bite of her pancakes, thinking how to explain Fate and Death. "I don't know is if they are actual people, or is it some kind of metaphor. But in my dream, they were named Fate and Death." Max pointed to the picture. "I'm supposed to find this person. Do you know anyone named Jelina G?"

Chloe shook her head. "Nope. But back up. You fucking met _DEATH?_ That. Is. AMAZEBALLS-"

"-shhh! Chloe, keep your voice down! I told you, I don't know if it was actually death, but-"

"And death was a SHE? I knew women ruled the world. Suck on that, men." Max rolled her eyes, "Ok, ok Max, but seriously, how can you blame me for trippin' over this? My best friend, who already can alter time, gets to chill with fuckin' Death. And Fate. Wow." Chloe swirled her coffee, mumbling something about wishing it was spiked. She looked back at Max, who looked exhausted. "I know, I keep getting side tracked. Ok, back to your dream and this creepy headstone picture. They said you had to find them by the Day of the Dead? What happens if you don't find them?" Chloe suddenly looked serious. "Did you make some deal with them?"

Max couldn't bring herself to tell Chloe about repairing her life thread, at least not yet. Even if Chloe acted strong and tough, she knew it would seriously hurt her. The diner was _not_ the right place for that conversation. "No deals. Maybe the storm will return? But I think I need to take it easy on my powers. I get the feeling they don't like me messing with time so much. They called me a hopper…it sounded like there were others like me."

Chloe's face brightened. "Others with powers?"

"Or other time travelers."

"Dude, I wonder if _I_ have some mad hidden super powers!" Max laughed. It was wonderful being back with her best friend. Chloe was rambling about how she'd like to turn her water into beer and have a power that made it so she never needed sleep, letting her have all the time in the world, when Max remembered she needed to text Warren back. Slipping the phone under the booth so Chloe wouldn't notice, she replied.

 **[Max] 10/12/2013 10:56am**

 **Sorry been eating breakfast with Chloe. Pancakes…Nom nom nom**

 **[Warren] 10/12/2013 10:56am**

 **Yum! Better than my cold cereal.**

 **Ready to do the Time Warp tonight (** **ノ** **^o^)** **ノ**

 **[Warren] 10/12/13 10:57am**

 **When you do the time warp, do you jump to the left? Or step to the right?**

 **[Max] 10/12/2013 10:58am**

 **Shh…don't give my secret away.**

 **It's the pelvic thrust.**

 **[Warren] 10/12/2013 10:58am**

 **... you have literally, LITERALLY, made me speechless.**

 **[Max] 10/12/2013 10:58am**

 **( ˘ ³˘)**

Her cheeks flushed, and her fingers touched her lips. Max couldn't help but feel giddy at the memory. Chloe, noticing Max hadn't been paying attention to her for quite some time now, had stopped talking and was staring at her. Then, a smirk spread on Chloe's face. She leaned back on the bench, crossing her arms. Max dropped her hand, looking anywhere but at Chloe's suspicious face. Max's legs began bouncing; it was nervous habit of hers, and Chloe chuckled.

"Done eating? Don't worry, mom said she'll take care of it. Let's blow this joint. We need to pick out clothes for tonight's party and get ready." Chloe stood up, yelling "I'll see you later, mom" as she strutted out of the diner. Max followed, dreading the car ride back to Blackwell. Max didn't even want to know how red her face was; she was sure it had to be on fire. Why she was so embarrassed to talk to Chloe? Chloe was her best friend! They've talked for hours about Chloe and her relationships…how was Max's any different? It's not like her and Warren did _that_ …Max bit her lip. She just wasn't used to sharing stories about boys to anyone, even her best friend.

They hopped in the car and Max reached for the radio. Chloe slapped her hand away, giving her a look. The silence was unnerving. They drove towards Blackwell, neither speaking, when Chloe abruptly did a U-turn in the middle of the street.

"What the hell, Chloe? Are you trying to kill us!?"

Chloe smiled. "Knew that'd get you talkin'. So…"

"So…what?" Chloe swerved her truck again, causing Max to grab to the door. "Fuck, Chloe! Ok, ok, just…don't kill me." Chloe smiled, and parked her car in front of a small park. She hopped out.

"Let's sit over there and talk. I need to refresh myself." Max rolled her eyes, getting out of the car. They walked to a small bench, away from everyone where Chloe could blaze up and not be bothered.

Max sighed, thumbing the ticket in her pocket. "So, I'm not sure how much you know…I only just remembered I went on a date on the bus ride here."

"Your boyfriend _that_ forgettable?"

"No, NO!" Max flushed. _Definitely no_. "No, time travel issues. It's hard remembering what memories are from what timelines. I only remembered after I touched the ticket stub," she said, pulling out the ticket from her pocket.

Chloe laughed, "Did you touch _his_ stub?" Max put her head in her hands. "Sorry, sorry. Last I talked to you, Warren was on his way to your dorm." Chloe motioned for Max to continue.

"I don't know what to really say…Warren picked me up, we had dinner, saw a movie, and went back to the dorms. I had a really good time. He was really sweet, he even bought me flowers." Chloe raised her eyebrows, and Max could hear her thinking _Are you kidding? That's all?_ with an exasperated expression on her face. "Ok, juicy details. So, um, I spent the night, um, in his room."

"And?"

"…and?"

"You just went in his room and fell asleep? Really, Max?"

Max shifted in her spot. "We…messed around a little bit." A little bit was an understatement. Max remembered Warren sneaking her into his room, almost getting caught by Principal Wells. She had to use her rewind power once, justifying it was for the "greater good." Running to the end of the hallway, holding hands, she giggled when they finally made it to his room. Max and Warren had just squeezed in the door when she slammed him against the wall, crushing her lips against his. His hands grabbed her hips, her fingers entwined in his hair. After a while, Warren started nibbling on her neck and picked her up, carrying her to his bed. Max pulled off his shirt, raking her fingers across his back. Warren lifted off Max's shirt, and both he and Max blushed.

 _"You're so beautiful, Max."_

Max smiled, and looked at Chloe. "He told me I was beautiful."

"Uh-huh. I already know the boy worships the ground you walk on. So, what else did he _tell_ you? Did he _show_ you anything?" Max groaned. Chloe was getting impatient. "Let's cut the crap. Is he a good fucker?"

Max punched Chloe's arm. "We didn't have sex! Geez."

"So you're telling he just saw you topless? That's it? Really, how old are you?" Chloe stood up, placing her hand over her heart. "It is my duty as your best friend to make sure you and nerdy boy get some hot kinky sex. And if it's bad, you can always rewind." Max rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but laugh. "Man, I wish I had that power."

It was true that her and Warren didn't go all the way last night, but they came close. Warren tried taking off Max's bra, but had difficulty getting the clasp undone. This caused him to become embarrassed, but Max only found this cute. Hell, she was just as inexperienced as him, and she didn't want his confidence to wane. She kissed him, a deep, passionate kiss, reassuring him to keep going. Warren, with Max's help, manage to get off her bra. Warren hesitated, but Max's eyes encouraged him to go on. His gentle touch and kisses had Max squirming, yearning for more. She needed him, and she knew he needed her. Before they knew it, their clothes had been peeled off, leaving a pile on the floor.

They both looked at each other, suddenly becoming shy in their exposed state.

 _"Max, I've never…"_

 _"…neither have I."_

Warren cusped Max's cheek and kissed her. Max melted under his kiss, and her hands began to wander. Warren gasped at the sudden touch, and following Max's lead, began to explore Max's body. Between kissing, moaning, and hands caressing, Max and Warren had one of the best nights in their lives. When they were done, Max slipped on one of Warren's t-shirts. They were blissfully happy, and Max didn't want the moment to end. They both fell asleep curled up together, pleasant smiles plastered on their faces.

Max grinned, looking at Chloe. "Well, you don't need to worry. And there are no complaints. No rewinds necessary." She stood up, walking back towards the truck.

"WHAT?! Ok, you'd better spill it. Now!" Chloe ran after Max, who was laughing the entire time. They hopped in the truck, both girls still laughing. "Alright, alright Max. I'll stop teasing you. Let's head to Frank's real quick before we hit the dorms.…I have a few things I want to pick up for tonight."

Jelina woke up to the feeling of tightness in her chest.

She had a job.

Looking around the small apartment, she saw her sheers on the kitchen table, engraved with a name and number. Around her neck was a chain with a spool of clear thread. She held the spool in her hand, concentrating on the name engraved on her sheers. The thread turned rough to the touch, and changed to a blood red mixed with spots of black. Jelina thought of the number and began to unwind the thread off the spool. As it unraveled, she could sense feelings of hatred, agony, and suffering within the frayed fibers. Stephanie came up to Jelina as she was finding the spot to cut. Jelina's instincts kicked in, and shortly she found the end mark.

*SNIP*

"It's always enchanting watching you work, Jelina. I wish my job was that peaceful." Jelina wrote down the name and number in her log book and tucked the cut thread in the crease of the page; almost instantly, Stephanie's scythe was engraved with the same name, a time, and a location.

"Looks like we got the same job…but we almost always do."

"Not hard to do when you are in a small town and not working in a facility. Could you imagine yourself working in a hospital?"

Jelina scrunched her nose. "Yuck. No thank you, I like being a wanderer."

"Me, too. So this is at the beach…says RV on the hill…want to come? We can hit the diner afterwards." Jelina shrugged. Why not? Even though they didn't have to eat or sleep to survive, they found their senses were sharpened when they did. Plus, it broke the monotony.

Jelina threw on her cloak, masking her from the human world. Well, most humans. Jelina's mind wandered to the hopper who had seen her and Stephanie. _I wonder if she'll come looking for us… she seemed adamant about repairing her friend's thread. She doesn't know what she's getting herself into...what I got myself into…_

Lost in thought, Jelina felt a tug on her wrist. "Ready? Let's hit the beach! I have a conscience to catch." Jelina smiled, pushing aside thoughts of the hopper for now. Someone on that beach had a meeting with Fate and Death.


End file.
